History repeats itself but with variations. History is the story of human nature and how it operates, and in a realist paradigm, man's actions based on selfishness force him to think and act in self-fulfilling ways.
The incumbent U.S. President, Donald Trump, has taken charge as the 47th President. His policies appear to be the opposite of those of the outgoing Joe Biden. He seems to favor neo-mercantilism in his approach to trade and the economy, and in the field of foreign policy, he appears to favor a non-confrontational approach toward Russia and China.
A recent meeting between U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Saudi Arabia provides insight into the direction of U.S.-Russia relations. The goal of Trump's administration's accommodative stance toward Russia is to erode the Sino-Russian alliance by using economic and diplomatic inducements. This approach differs from earlier U.S. strategies that placed a strong emphasis on controlling both countries. Trump aims to distance Russia from its alliance with China, which is seen as a major geopolitical threat because of its military and economic achievements, by cultivating closer ties with Moscow.
Trump is trying to carve out an understanding similar to the Nazi-Soviet Pact of 1939. Logically, Biden's hard stance against Russia in Ukraine brought China and Russia closer together, which proved counterproductive to U.S. dominance and interests. By ending the Ukraine war and bringing a new regime to power in Kiev, Russian interests will be preserved. Additionally, Trump's withdrawal plan from Europe will create conditions in which Europe will be forced to reach a compromise with Russia, giving leverage to the Russians and, in turn, creating a pull toward the West and away from China. As the U.S. and Europe are children of the same liberal modernity, they will, in fact, remain in the same group but appear to be indifferent.
One benefit that I believe Trump expects is that after entrapping India, if Russia falls into the trap, the BRICS challenge will be neutralized to a large extent. By exerting pressure on China and also drawing Russia away, China will be overstretched within BRICS.
Those who say Trump has ended Pax Americana, I think they don’t understand Trump. Trump is a businessman, and he will earn more than he invests. Trump's presidency may look radical, but believe me, from the statements coming from the White House, I believe he has done his homework and will achieve many things. Yes, we may feel a weakness in U.S. standing, and for the first time, we may sense the acceptance of multipolarity by the U.S. under Trump. However, with strategic moves, Trump is trying to create new realities to preserve U.S. global hegemony.